Catherine's Mental Prowess

We all know Catherine is smart, but still she constantly says and does things that surprise us. And, par for the course for a toddler, at least half of the super smart stuff that she does is also really annoying. Take for instance her read on the phone situation. Catherine learned very quickly that whenever we are on the phone, we have a diminished ability and/or desire to effect prompt and consistent discipline. So, the instant Michael picks up the phone she runs into his office, climbs on his chair, and starts typing on his keyboard; the instant I pick up the phone she runs to my desk, climbs on my chair, and starts typing on my keyboard. If both of us are on the phone, it's just a free-for-all of sketchy activities. Smart? Yes. Annoying? Equally.

Catherine has also shown us that she has absolutely no excuse for not saying "please" when making a request because she has a complete and thorough understanding of the required protocol. Mary has suddenly become extremely interested in holding and chewing on toys, but given that she has the dexterity of a 4-month-old, she drops them constantly. Catherine has taken it upon herself to be Mary's personal toy-picker-upper, with stipulations. Catherine will run over and pick up the toy Mary dropped, then hold it in one hand and point at Mary with the other hand saying "Mary, ask 'please'" over and over before delivering the toy back to Mary. We have tried to explain to Catherine that Mary can't use words yet, but that just caused her to broaden her command: "Mary, use words. Ask 'please.'" Mary does not become annoyed at much, but she becomes annoyed at this. Oh, and to get the correct effect in your head as you read this you should know that Catherine now pronounces Mary's name with two syllables (instead of saying "Me"), but she has also added a "d", so it sounds like "Mare-dy".

Much to Catherine's surprise (even though I had been telling her all day) Grandpa arrived yesterday evening for a quick 2-day visit. Of course he brought all kinds of goodies, including a snowman washcloth that was the star of bathtime, and "Catherine's special cup" - a little cup with handles and snowflakes and sparklies all over it that she hasn't put down since it was delivered into her hands. And then of course there's Grandpa himself, who is currently entertaining Catherine in the basement. It's a good thing Catherine is in a friendly phase, because Mary may have turned a corner in the other direction. Monday when we had a bunch of people over was the first day Mary voiced a preference for me over anyone else in the room, and she was none too pleased about walking around with Grandpa last night while I gave Catherine a bath. She seems fine still if she is already in a good mood (which is still more often than not) but if she isn't feeling tip-top then no one else will do. We'll just have to hope that if it is a phase it is shorter than Catherine's 10-month-long "if you're not Mama don't even think about it" phase.

This is what Mary's doing right now:

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms

Caution: There is a very high chance that any male who is not a father will not find this post amusing. There is nearly as high of a chance that many fathers will not find this post amusing, and as well that many women will not find this post amusing. However, being a mom who has done a fair amount of travelling and being out and about while nursing babies, when a flight attendant on a recent flight gave me a copy of this poem, I chuckled. I will admit the writing can be a tiny bit forced, but the sentiment is sincere and I imagine that many other moms who have in the past, or do now, or will in the future nurse their babies will chuckle at this as well. And what more can you ask for in a day than a little chuckle?

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms

Would you nurse her in the park?
Would you nurse him in the dark?
Would you nurse him with a Boppy?
And when your boobs are feeling floppy?

I would nurse him in the park,
I would nurse her in the dark.
I’d nurse with or without a Boppy.
Floppy boobs will never stop me.

Can you nurse with your seat belt on?
Can you nurse from dusk till dawn?
Though she pinch me, bite me, pull,
I will nurse her `till she’s full!

Can you nurse and make some soup?
Can you nurse and feed the group?
It makes her healthy, strong and smart,
Mommy’s milk is the best start!

Would you nurse him at the game?
Would you nurse her in the rain?
In front of those who dare complain?
I would nurse him at the game.
I would nurse her in the rain.

As for those who protest lactation,
I have the perfect explanation.
Mommy’s milk is tailor made
It’s the perfect food, you need no aid.

Some may scoff and some may wriggle,
Avert their eyes or even giggle.
To those who can be cruel and rude,
Remind them breast’s the perfect food!

I would never scoff or giggle,
Roll my eyes or even wiggle!
I would not be so crass or crude,
I KNOW this milk’s the perfect food!

We make just the amount we need
The perfect temp for every feed.
There’s no compare to milk from breast-
The perfect food, above the rest.

Those nursing smiles are oh so sweet,
Mommy’s milk is such a treat.
Human milk just can’t be beat.

I will nurse, in any case,
On the street or in your face.
I will not let my baby cry,
I’ll meet her needs, I’ll always try.
It’s not about what’s good for you,
It’s best for babies, through and through.

I will nurse her in my home,
I will nurse her when I roam.
Leave me be lads and ma’am.
I will nurse her, Mom I am.

Little Princesses

I don't even know what to say about this picture really. Clearly Catherine and Morgan had a fun time at church this morning with their "crowns."

Share and Share Alike

Mary is definitely losing her hair - I wonder if it will grow in blond and curly like Catherine's or something completely different?

Our friends Erinn and Kevin with their kids Morgan and Tristan were over for dinner again last night. Morgan and Catherine are about as good of friends as a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old can be (Catherine pretend-talks to her on the phone every day), we love hanging out with Kevin and Erinn, and Tristan and Mary may already be the victims of an arranged marriage, so it's always fun to have them over. However it can get to be a challenge for Catherine sometimes as she is not yet accustomed to sharing her toys; she does great sharing other people's toys, but she still has some reservations about the merits of sharing her own things, especially chairs, purses, and phones. Honestly Catherine does very well for a not-quite-2-year-old, but by the end of the evening yesterday it was clear she was reaching her limit: she gathered a pile of toys in front of her on the coffee table and starting waving both hands over them saying "No touch. All things Catherine's!" over and over. Yet another instance where what she is doing is so amusing I have to turn around and chuckle to myself before addressing her about the correct behavior.

It was sunny and not windy out today, so we donned hats and mittens and played outside in the yard a bit this afternoon, even managing to rake a couple piles of leaves in the meantime. The leaves were pretty wet and slimy so we didn't play in them, but we were all glad to be outside. When I put Mary in her warm red fuzzy, Catherine saw the little poofy strings on the top of her hat and declared "Party Hat!" so she ran and put her party hat on, the cake-shaped hat with a candle on top from her first birthday. I told her she couldn't wear that hat outside, which she surprisingly agreed with, but she recalled the party hat later in the evening and decided Mary should wear the cake hat this time. Mary seemed pleased.

Our Turkey Dominates

We heard Aunt Jena and Uncle Tommy were smoking a turkey this year as well, and although we have not heard any reports yet about the success of that endeavor, we confidently declare that there is no way it was as awesome as our smoked turkey.


Catherine thoroughly enjoyed the turkey and pumpkin bread, but she wasn't too impressed with the mashed potatoes and stuffing, even with "sauce". When we went to the neighbor's for dessert she loved the cookies 'n cream ice cream (just like her dad) but was even more stoked by their water dispenser with a seemingly endless supply of cold water. Catherine only drinks cold water from the fridge now, no faucet water.

We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! Cheers to a week's worth of leftovers...